By far the most significant process in carrying out a completion in a cased well is that of providing a flow path between the production zone, also known as a formation, and the well bore. Typically, the creation of such a flow path is carried out using a perforator, with the resulting aperture in the casing and physical penetration into the formation via a cementing layer being commonly referred to as a perforation. Although mechanical perforating devices are known, almost overwhelmingly such perforations are formed using energetic materials e.g. high explosives. Energetic materials can also confer additional benefits in that may provide stimulation to the well in the sense that the shockwave passing into the formation can enhance the effectiveness of the perforation and produce increased flow from the formation. Typically, such a perforator will take the form of a shaped-charge. In the following, any reference to a perforator, unless otherwise qualified, should be taken to mean a shaped charge perforator.
A shaped charge is an energetic device made up of an axisymmetric case within which is inserted a liner. The liner provides one internal surface of a void, the remaining surfaces of the void being provided by the enclosure. The void is filled with a high explosive such as HMX, RDX, PYX or HNS which, when detonated, causes the liner material to collapse and be ejected from the casing in the form of a high velocity jet of material. It is this jet of material which impacts upon the well casing creating an aperture and then penetrates into the formation itself. Generally, a large number of perforations are required in a particular region of the casing proximate a formation. To this end, a so called gun is deployed into the casing by wireline, coiled tubing or indeed any other technique know to those skilled in the art. The gun is effectively a carrier for a plurality of perforators which may be of the same or differing output. The precise type of perforator, their number and the size of the gun are a matter generally decided upon by a completion engineer based on an analysis and/or assessment of the characteristics of the completion. Depending on the nature of the formation, the aim of the completion engineer may be either to obtain the largest possible aperture in the casing or to obtain the deepest possible penetration into the surrounding formation. Thus, in an unconsolidated formation, the former will be preferred whereas in a consolidated formation the latter will be desired. It will be appreciated that the nature of a formation may vary both from completion to completion and also within the extent of a particular completion.
Typically, the actual selection of the perforator charges, their number and arrangement within a gun and indeed the type of gun is left to the completion engineer. A particular constraint on the engineer and his selection of the charges is the carrier or gun used to convey the charges into the well. The carrier is a containment device which seeks to contain the explosive force to an extent necessary to protect the well casing from the effects of fragmentation. The carrier further acts as a barrier between the pressurised fluids in the well and the perforator charges. Almost universally, steel is used as the material of choice in the manufacture of carriers. Consequently, a carrier is heavy and difficult to handle.
The completion engineer will base his decision on an empirical approach born of experience and knowledge of the particular formation in which the completion is taking place. However, to assist the engineer in his selection there have been developed a range of tests and procedures for the characterisation of perforator performance. These tests and procedures have been developed by the industry via the American Petroleum Institute (API). In this regard, the API standard RP 19 B (formerly RP 43 5th Edition) currently available for download from www.api.org is used widely by the perforator community as indication of perforator performance. Manufacturers of perforators typically utilise this API standard marketing their products. The completion engineer is therefore able to select between products of different manufacturers for a perforator having the performance he believes is required for the particular job in hand. In making his selection, the engineer can be confident of the type of performance to expect from the perforator.
Nevertheless, despite the existence of these tests and procedures there is recognition that completion engineering remains at heart more art than science. It has been recognised by the inventors in respect of the invention set out herein, that the conservative nature of the current approach to completion has failed to bring about the change in the approach to completion engineering required to enhance and increase production from both straightforward and complex completions.
A further problem associated with perforator guns is that of debris remaining in the well after firing of the charges. One approach to this problem is to employ a gun casing or other carrier which is substantially destroyed upon firing of the perforator charges. Patent Application GB 2,365,468A (Sclumberger) discloses an arrangement in which the casing is formed of a compound material which is brittle under dynamic impact and hence designed to shatter upon firing of the charges; Patent Application GB 2,380, 536A (Schlumberger) discloses a gun jacket designed to be combustible upon firing of the charges; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,894 discloses a tube designed either to fragment or to combust in use and in either case to leave no large pieces of debris in the well.
Patent Application WO 01/07860A3 discloses apparatus and methods for reducing interference resulting from activation of perforator charges.